Every Wave Has a Different Story
by thetobimeister
Summary: A sequel to Hope and the Unchangeable Destiny. Fourteen years after Alex's sacrifice, Katherine and Elizabeth find themselves living in a shroud of secrets in order to live a normal life. But everything goes awry when powerful vampires realize the importance of two human Petrova doppelgangers.
1. The Anniversary

Twilight was starting to fall over Brooklyn, and a girl stood at the side of the road eagerly. Still carrying a rather heavy backpack, she was just finished with another day of high school, and home was a place she definitely wanted to finally rest. But she wasn't excited for just the end of the school day. An old friend was to make one of his infrequent visits. A huge smile enveloped her face as an attractive 1967 Chevy Camaro pulled up to the curb.

"Want some candy, little girl?" the driver asked with a mysterious smirk.

"Damon!" Elizabeth exclaimed, immediately leaping into the car. "It took you long enough!"

"Well, Lizzie, I'm terribly disappointed in you," the man replied with a sigh. "The mace I bought you won't do any good if you're that friendly with strange men."

"Oh, please, Damon," Elizabeth chuckled, throwing her backpack into the back of the car. She leaned back in the passenger seat lazily and let out a long sigh. "Let's just go home. And you're not serious about the mace, are you?"

"Well, I'll admit, I was joking," he told regretfully. "But it wouldn't hurt on the streets of Brooklyn."

Damon Alexander was a middle-aged man with incredibly piercing blue eyes. He drove his car with authority, but his expression instantly softened when he was looking over at Elizabeth. His gaze contained a fatherly love and a slight look of anxiety. After trying to ignore his stares for long periods of time, she would finally smile at him. He would smile back, but never for long. His grin would fade and his eyes would fill with a certain sadness. This always confused Elizabeth, but she noticed his behavior was particularly melancholy today.

"So, what happened with your mother today exactly?" he asked casually after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.

"There was a teachers meeting," Elizabeth informed sulkily. "Our new principal is arriving tomorrow, and an event is going to be held. Apparently they need to hold a two hour meeting to tell her classes will be ten minutes shorter."

"Hey, that could affect her teaching schedule greatly," Damon suggested clumsily. His wandering eyes suggested he wasn't very informed on the dealings of education. "I mean, maybe she wanted to discuss the Great Wall of China. But you need the extra ten minutes to discuss it completely-"

"I get it, Damon," Elizabeth laughed. "My mom knows what she's doing. She probably doesn't even need this meeting."

"I know I ask this every time I visit," he started cautiously. "But how is it going to the school where your mom teaches?"

Elizabeth had a very prepared answer for this. She was accustomed to saying there was nothing strange about her mother teaching AP History at her high school. They passed by in the halls quite casually, largely ignoring the fact that they are mother and daughter. Though Elizabeth wasn't necessarily a liar, this story wasn't entirely true. Her mother Kate Porter was a gorgeous woman who hardly looked thirty-five years old, as she claimed to be. She caught the attention of every boy in the school, and it was certainly awkward and irritating for Elizabeth to hear about their explicit, vulgar fantasies involving her mother. Teenage boys seemed extremely comfortable conversing to her about how seductive her mother is. This was both disturbing and discouraging, forcing Elizabeth to constantly compare herself to her mother. But resentment never stemmed from this. Kate was too loving and wonderful to be frustrating.

"It's fine, Damon," Elizabeth assured happily. Changing the subject was her immediate priority now. "Thanks for picking me up. Damon, this car still uses gas, doesn't it?"

"As long as they let me, I'll drive this baby," Damon insisted passionately. "Those hydrogen cars are ugly, anyways."

When they arrived home, Elizabeth swiftly apologized to Damon as she pulled her homework from her backpack. She directed him to the television where he could watch whatever he wanted while she worked, but she felt defeated as he insisted on helping her with her trigonometry. It was a longer process, but she let him "help" and then sighed with relief once everything was done.

"That certainly wasn't what we studied in my day," Damon told wearily. "I survived without it."

"If I want to get into college, Damon, I need to learn this." Elizabeth sounded even more tired than Damon as she fell down onto the couch and relaxed. She closed her eyes and tried to erase all math problems from her brain.

"I forgot," Damon suddenly said, interrupting the short stillness. "Kate wanted me to order pizza. Elizabeth, what number do I call?"

Elizabeth directed Damon to the appropriate phone number, requested pepperoni, and then reminded him of her address. They talked about school and life in Brooklyn. Elizabeth began to feel desperate as she realized Damon was trying to find out if she had a boyfriend. A look of impatience always clouded his eyes when he was doing this. She almost jumped with excitement as the front door opened.

"Mom," Elizabeth called in a voice much higher than usual. "You're home."

Wiping her long, dark hair from her face, Kate Porter entered the house. She carried a large purse and a keychain, and instantly placed them on the nearest table. Her expression was not usual. The natural ambiance of amusement and happiness that accompanied her was hardly there, and her gaze was jaded. Damon looked at her sympathetically, and their eyes met in a most driven passion.

Just as if she were always meant to be there, she walked right into Damon's arms. They stood in silence for a moment of compassion that Elizabeth just could not understand. Worry filled her eyes as she stared at the two people she loved the most, and she slowly walked up to her mother and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Mom?" she whispered anxiously. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, baby," Kate assured with a weak smile, quickly leaving Damon to embrace Elizabeth. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay." Elizabeth was not at all convinced of her mother's claim. "Pizza's on its way."

"Oh, yeah," Damon began, his intense eyes softening. "Just ten minutes ago we ordered one."

"Great," Kate grinned distractedly, slowly pushing Elizabeth's hair from her face. She stared into her daughter's eyes dreamily, until her expression changed just as Damon's did after staring at Elizabeth for so long. Kate suddenly left the both of them and went into her room. Nervously Elizabeth looked to Damon.

"Damon, is something wrong with Mom?" she asked urgently. "You've got to tell me if there really is something wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, Lizzie," Damon suggested darkly, turning to look at the pictures on the wall. As Damon continued to drift even farther from Elizabeth, she remembered how Kate had acted all day. There was a certain distress in every word and action.

Today was November 28. It never occurred to Elizabeth, but Damon had always visited on this particular day. Though his other visits were sporadic and unexpected, this one was always specific, and a special mood always accompanied it. But as far as Elizabeth could remember, no one had been this sad or mournful before. She was very curious as to find out what this whole event was all about, but she assumed Damon was quite defensive about the reason, and Kate seemed incredibly fragile.

Earnestly Elizabeth let the night play out. The pizza came, everyone ate, and the conversation was interesting and somewhat cheerful. Everyone laughed, and silence was hard to find. But something was just not right, and the suspense was killing Elizabeth. Finally she decided to go to sleep early, with a little eavesdropping beforehand.

She lay on her bed tensely, keeping her eyes wide open. There was the sound of footsteps and clanging of glass, but no one spoke. After a few minutes, Elizabeth assumed they were now drinking wine, and worried she would now listen in on a rather intimate moment, though the simple thought of such a thing was unfathomable in her mind. Suddenly, Kate spoke.

"It's been fourteen years, Damon," she sighed. The frailty of her voice was a shock to Elizabeth, and she felt more worry for her mother. "I can hardly believe it actually happened."

"There's not a day that goes by where I don't think about her," Damon told miserably. "I wish it wasn't real. But I can't imagine it not being so."

"I couldn't stand being in that teachers meeting today," Kate began in a desperate tone. "As we were talking about the silliest things, I realized just how much Alex gave us. Everything that was normal before is now supernatural. I'm teaching twelfth grade history while Alex is…"

"Katherine, she wouldn't want us to think of it in that way," Damon promised warily. "She just wanted us to live life and love Elizabeth."

"Damon, she looks just like her mother now." By now, Kate's voice sounded weepy, and quiet sniffles could be heard. "It's so hard to see Alex in her face."

"I know," Damon admitted.

Elizabeth wasn't sure if she should be angered, offended, or scared by their words. A picture of her biological mother Alex Somers had always rested on a table in Kate's room. She had never noticed a resemblance, but now she was quite suspicious.

Quietly she rose from bed and walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner of the room. She had always resented the picture of Alex, but its image was clear in her mind. Her long, dirty blond hair, her cloudy blue eyes, and her round, happy cheeks that never appeared quite slim, no matter how skinny she was. These were all recognizable as belonging to Alex, and Elizabeth hated that aspect of herself. But it never occurred to her that Kate and Damon considered it something upsetting.

Upsetting? Did they really hate Alex so much as to resent Elizabeth for the similarity? But the way they spoke insinuated more. A certain affection was in their voices. The sadness they radiated could even be felt from her room. This confusion slowly turned into anger, and she couldn't stand to hear anymore.

As she furiously sat on her bed, she heard the door creak open. She reluctantly looked back to see Kate, peering in with curious eyes. Elizabeth simply could not hide her irritation, and Kate's sudden embarrassment expressed how she caught on. Looking down at the ground, Kate walked into the room and picked up a picture of the both of them on top of the Empire State Building.

"It looks like you heard our conversation," Kate sighed regretfully, her voice now stronger than before.

"Mom, why are you guys so sentimental about Alex?" Elizabeth asked crossly. "I mean, she left when I wasn't even two. What kind of mother goes and does that?"

"Elizabeth, she was my friend," Kate informed urgently, walking closer to the fuming girl. "There's a lot about your mother that you don't know."

"Don't call her my mother," Elizabeth commanded, rising from the bed. She started to pace back and forth. "She was the one who ran away with no good reason and left me with Grandma. She's lucky you were here when Grandma got sick, and she's lucky you listened to Grandma and adopted me when she died. She's not my mother."

Kate looked on the verge of tears, though a soft smile appeared on her face. She took Elizabeth's hand and stopped her in the middle of her furious pacing. With watery eyes and a soft voice, she whispered, "If you really knew who your mother was, you would miss her."

"_You_ are my mother now," Elizabeth stated firmly. "Please don't think about her." Her voice shook as she thought of what she needed to say. "Especially if she makes you hate me. I want you to look at me and be happy, Mom."

"Oh, Elizabeth," Kate sighed, pulling Elizabeth into a secure hug. "I could never hate you. I love you with all my heart, Elizabeth. Believe that."

Elizabeth started to whimper as she stood in her mother's arms, but she would not let tears fall. Her anger for Alex overshadowed her deep sadness. Believing Kate was something of ease and made of a trust that existed blatantly in their lives. Alex would not affect them anymore. She was gone forever, and gone for good.


	2. Good Intentions

It was three in the afternoon, and the day was weighing heavily on the students of Brooklyn High. They all sat in the muggy auditorium, waiting to see their new principal Mr. Kervowski. The teachers and staff, excluding the vice principal stood on the stage anxiously. Of course, like all school assemblies, it was running terribly late, and Elizabeth was becoming more impatient by the minute.

Finally, Mrs. Hepburn came onto the stage with a microphone and greeted the students with a cheerful voice. "Hello, everyone. I assume you'll all be okay if I go right ahead and introduce our new principal."

Every student made a comment, whether sarcastic or bluntly unkind. Elizabeth listened to her friends' criticism, but kept silent, finding to keep her words in her head helped her very often in life.

"Mr. Kervowski is a wonderful man with many years of educational experience," Mrs. Hepburn announced. "The students are always his first priority, and I hope you'll have the greatest respect for him. He just flew into New York this morning, so I expect for you to understand his great passion for education. Please welcome your new principal Mr. Kervowski."

The students were rude, but not immature. They applauded as the new principal stepped out onto the stage. Mr. Kervowski was a very tall man with slick grey hair and sculpted sideburns. His nose was long and pointy, and his face was relatively young for what everyone assumed his age to be. He wasn't too old at all, and was certainly younger than fifty-two year old Mrs. Hepburn. Everyone stared at him with great wonder and stood on edge as he politely took the microphone from Mrs. Hepburn.

"Good afternoon, students," he greeted with a distinguished voice that seemed more fit for a foreign accent. "I am happy to lead you all through a great year of education. I'm looking forward to meeting each one of you and finding the marvelous gifts and strengths only you hold. Thank you for attending this assembly today. I will see you all on Monday morning for a pleasant day of learning."

All eyes were still on Kervowski as he gave the microphone to Mrs. Hepburn. He slowly walked towards the staff when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Eagerly Elizabeth tried to track his gaze, letting out a weary sigh when she realized he was looking directly at her mother. Passing all the rest of the staff at a more convenient position for him to meet first, he went right up to Kate and shook her hand. Elizabeth felt that protective feeling well up inside her, and she couldn't help but to voice her disapproval and disgust of this infatuation.

"Taylor, can you believe this?" she exclaimed to her friend beside her. "He's talking to her like she's the only person in the room. Right now he's probably giving some of the cheesiest pick-up lines in the English language. And with a name like Kervowski, they're probably in some other languages too. She's actually smiling! What is wrong with her?"

"Elizabeth, your mom is used to this," Taylor insisted with a sigh. "She knows how to handle these things. C'mon. Let's get out of here."

Taylor was that laidback sort of friend who spent her time like it was the most precious of diamonds. If a subject was unimportant to her, it would not stay in the conversation for long. But Elizabeth endured this willingly, knowing Taylor had a clever head on her shoulders with much knowledge and many answers. Taylor's confidence often assured Elizabeth of a silver lining of every situation. They sat down on the grass lawn just outside the auditorium and started to talk about the issues in the world. Taylor always found the economy and the environment something of importance.

"Excuse me," a voice called after a few minutes of chatting. Taylor gave a weak moan as she was interrupted from her rant on animal abuse, but Elizabeth was far from annoyance. If the voice was not enough to hypnotize her, the speaker surely was. She looked up to see a tall boy with untidy, bright blond hair. He looked at her with his cheerful green eyes and smiled.

"Hello," he said courteously. "My name is Mark."

Right away, Elizabeth jumped up from the grass. Her mind went completely blank for a few seconds as she stared at his outstretched hand. But eventually she was able to distract herself from his hypnotizing eyes with her own embarrassment, and she bashfully shook his hand and replied.

"I'm Elizabeth Porter," she answered with bright red cheeks.

"Taylor Reynolds here," Taylor informed bluntly, giving a short wave.

"It's nice to meet you both," Mark told kindly. "I thought it was a duty of mine to meet all the students right away."

"Why is that?" Elizabeth asked dreamily.

"I'm the principal's son."

Elizabeth's jovial grin wiped from her face as soon as Mark disclosed this information. With her mouth hanging wide open, she tried to imagine how this gorgeous person could be related to someone as upsetting as Kervowski. But Taylor was already speaking calmly with only a fraction of Elizabeth's surprise.

"You're Mr. Kervowski's son?" Taylor asked casually. "Really?"

"Well, I'm adopted," he replied timidly. This statement immediately put a smile on Elizabeth's face.

"You're adopted?" she questioned curiously. "So am I."

This truth usually gave Elizabeth a very uneasy feeling in her stomach, but now she felt quite happy there was something in common between her and this fascinating boy.

"Oh, you're Kate Porter's daughter," he noted with a smile. "That must be a little strange."

"Not really," Elizabeth chuckled in an unusually high tone. "But you should know, being the principal's son, and all."

"I guess." His reply was vague, but he ended it with beautiful smile. She knew she was desperately smitten, but she wasn't necessarily concerned.

"Elizabeth," Kate called suddenly, walking out of the auditorium with Kervowski. She seemed blissful and unaffected by Kervowski's apparent flirting, and Elizabeth began to give the new principal the benefit of the doubt. The father of her new obsession couldn't be too bad.

"Hey, Mom," Elizabeth smiled. "What's up?"

"_What's up_?" Kate asked curiously, giving a quick glance to Mark. "I was ready to go. I thought maybe you were waiting for me. But perhaps that changed quite suddenly…"

"Oh, Ms. Porter, please meet my son Mark," Kervowski introduced, patting his son on the back. A casual, friendly Mark became a sort of introvert in the presence of his father, and this created a bit of curiosity in Elizabeth.

"It's nice to meet you, Mark," Kate assured, gently shaking his hand. "Will I be expecting you in my AP History class this year?"

"Yes, you will," Kervowski smirked. "Mark is a Senior this year. And he's excellent in history."

"That's wonderful," Kate said politely. "I'm looking forward to it."

As Kate gave proud looks towards Mark, Kervowski seemed overly interested in the history teacher. He stared at her with a look of accomplishment and even possession. Worry and resentment filled Elizabeth again, and she quickly tugged on Kate's hand.

"Maybe it _is_ time to go," she insisted urgently.

"Alright," Kate replied happily. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Kervowski. And I guess I'll see you on Monday, Mark. Oh, you too, Taylor. I didn't even notice you there."

"Yes, Mom, let's go," Elizabeth pleaded, pulling her hand gently.

"Oh, Elizabeth." She could not believe the voice that called for her was Kervowski's. Reluctantly she turned to face him. When his eyes assured her he was talking to her specifically, she strategically wandered between him and her mother.

"Um, yes, Mr. Kervowski?" she asked with false interest.

"If you don't mind, I'd like have a chat with you in my office for a few moments," he requested politely.

"I'll wait in the car, then," Kate told softly, squeezing Elizabeth's hand before walking away.

Elizabeth felt completely trapped. She did not want to appear to be a spectacle in front of Mark, but she despised Kervowski terribly. In the end, she nodded reluctantly and followed the principal into the school and into his office. As they entered, she noticed the absolute neatness of his office and how personalized it was. He had just flown into New York today. Perhaps he worked incredibly fast, but Elizabeth was still very curious. Where was he from? Where did he work? What was his life story?

"Please, have a seat, Ms. Porter," he said with a grin, sitting down behind his desk. It wasn't her intention to stay for long, but she sat down anyways.

"What is this about, Mr. Kervowski?" she questioned curiously.

"Oh, I've heard very wonderful things about you, Ms. Porter," he insisted. "I'm just curious to know more about you and your family."

In her mind, Elizabeth specifically recalled that her grades were not spectacular. There was really no reason to want to know more about her. She quickly put up a guard before he began his interview.

"I've read your information," he started. "Your name is Elizabeth Margaret Porter, yes?"

"It is," she answered swiftly.

"You're the daughter of Alexandra Somers, though," he said plainly.

"Kate adopted me when I was three," Elizabeth interrupted spitefully. "I'd say she was my real mother."

"Hmm, that's interesting," Kervowski sighed. "Your mother's name then is Katherine Porter. She apparently does not have a middle name."

"I guess not," she agreed with little interest.

"It was listed on your mother's paperwork that she speaks a second language," he informed curiously. "Bulgarian. Have you heard her speak this?"

"No," she answered. "She told me she can speak it, but she's never spoken it in front of me."

"Elizabeth, do you know someone named Elena Gilbert?" he suddenly asked, unconcerned with the question he spoke before.

"Never heard of her," Elizabeth assured unenthusiastically. "Look, Mr. Kervowski, this is sort of strange."

"You can't tell me you've never heard of her," he interrupted with an unexpected passion. "You've never heard Katherine talk about a girl named Elena Gilbert?"

Now Elizabeth was a little frightened by Kervowski's urgency. She gripped the arms of her chair tightly and quickly searched her mind. It wasn't her immediate concern to help this man with anything, but an answer seemed quite essential.

"Um, maybe," she began hastily. "I think she might have mentioned the name when she was talking with Damon."

The principal's eyes lit up at the sound of that name. He leaned back in his chair and smiled. Relaxation seemed quite simple for him, while Elizabeth was still on edge.

"Damon Salvatore," he whispered, looking down at the table.

"His name is Damon Alexander," Elizabeth interrupted quickly.

"That is to be expected," he laughed quietly. "How very strange this all is. But I guess I've learned a lot. That is all, Ms. Porter. Perhaps I'll see you around."

As fast as she could, Elizabeth leapt up from her chair and left the office. Her heart was beating incredibly fast, and she couldn't exactly understand why. All she knew was that Kervowski scared her immensely. When she met with Kate in the car, she finally felt safe and let out a great sigh of relief. Kate was very concerned with this behavior, but Elizabeth gave simple excuses to silence her. She just wanted to get home and be as far away from that strange man as possible.

When they arrived home, Kate started dinner, and Elizabeth distracted herself from her memory of Kervowski with homework. The whole weekend's worth of homework was done within a couple hours, and she joined her mother in the kitchen for dinner. Instantly, Kate began to talk of Mark.

"So, this Mark," she smirked. "He's cute."

"Um, cougar much?" Elizabeth replied with a mocking disgust. "How could you, Mom? I had no idea you were a pedophile."

"You really don't want to talk about him?" Kate asked in disappointment.

"Give it a few weeks, at least," Elizabeth urged. "Then maybe I'll actually have something to talk about."

Though Kate begged for some girl talk a little while longer, Elizabeth was smart in her defenses. She ate quickly and got ready for bed. Tonight, she was going to sleep peacefully and forget all about Kervowski's odd, disturbing behavior. Yes, slumber came easily this night. Soon enough, she was fast asleep.

"No!" Elizabeth shot up from her bed as she heard her mother's scream. There was a loud banging and a few crashes, and Elizabeth was flying out of her room and into the living room. The sight she encountered was hardly expected.

Kate was up against the wall, being held by Principal Kervowski. A horrifying grin was upon his face, and he held Kate's neck in one of his huge hands.

"Mom!" Elizabeth yelled, running towards her mother and the familiar intruder.

"Mark!" Kervowski called, giving Elizabeth a menacing look.

A less imposing figure threw out his hand, and Elizabeth could not move a muscle. Her heart skipped a beat as she noticed Mark in the corner of the room, grasping the air as if it were her own neck. His face was incredibly petrifying, though his eyes seemed conflicted. No matter how terrified she felt, she could not scream or run. With teary eyes, she watched as Kervowski violently pulled Kate away from the wall and in front of her.

"Katerina," Kervowski whispered with a dark delight. "I'm so glad I found you."

"Please, let Elizabeth go," Kate begged tearfully, looking at her daughter in desperation.

Kervowski ignored her request completely. "Look at this, you changed your name. It's a simple thing, really. But what I can't understand is how you changed what you were."

"Look, I don't know who you are," Kate started weakly. "But you have to let Elizabeth go. I'll give you anything you want, really. Just let her go."

"Why would you even want to change?" Kervowski asked with a slight laugh. "You were safe while you were a vampire. It's the best thing for a Petrova doppelganger, isn't it?"

Vampire? Elizabeth had so many questions, but fear overshadowed them all. This horrid nightmare was turning even more eerie.

"How did you do it?" Kervowski questioned curiously. "It must have been a very powerful sort of magic."

"What do you want?" Kate asked angrily, a new rage in her expression. "Is that why you're here? You want to sacrifice me?"

"No," Kervowski answered bluntly. "But, you see, Klaus wants to sacrifice you. If you haven't figured it out yet, the Curse of the Sun and Moon was a hoax. The sacrifice is much more lethal than anything in this world."

"I don't see your point," Kate hissed.

"I can't let you be a part of that sacrifice," he informed. "It is much too dangerous for this world."

"What are you saying?" Kate asked in horror, her voice now falling away from her blatant wrath. "You're going to kill me?"

"Precisely." Suddenly, Kervowski pushed a long knife directly into Kate's stomach. Elizabeth had not even seen this knife before, but the effects of it were obvious. Kate's face contorted to form a ghastly expression that seemed to stop Elizabeth's heart instantly. Pressure built up in her body as she could not scream in terror or rescue her mother. Limply, Kate's body fell down to the ground, and her wide eyes looked around the room desperately.

"The blood of a Petrova doppelganger." Kervowski leaned down to Kate's wound and pulled the knife from her abdomen. To Elizabeth's disgust, he slowly stuck his forefinger into the newly-made lesion and sent Kate into a screaming frenzy. When he finally took his finger away, he brought it to his mouth and licked the blood. He gave a satisfied sigh and rose from the ground. "Yes, the blood is sweet, as I imagined."

Elizabeth suddenly noticed her body was no longer bound by the strange force, but she was in too much shock to move. Tears ran down her face, but she was not hysterical. She was simply frozen.

"I'm sorry, dear," Kervowski said gently, walking up to Elizabeth. "But you will not remember any of this. You'll start a new life."

For a few moments, he stared into her eyes and did not blink. She stared back in return, but only because she did not have enough energy to move her gaze. As he stared, he started to tilt his head, and a painful expression possessed his face. Suddenly, he gripped his head and gave out a loud shout. Slowly, he backed away from her towards the front door. He grabbed Mark's arm and pulled him away with him.

"Mark, quickly," he exclaimed. "Something is wrong. Quickly, follow me."

Before they both left, Mark gave a last look towards Elizabeth. His eyes were almost apologetic, but mostly filled with astonishment. Then Elizabeth was alone with Kate, who was quietly whimpering on the floor. Without any obvious jolt, Elizabeth was incredibly aware of Kate, and rushed down to her side.

"Mom!" she screamed, tears running down her face. "Mom! There's so much blood!"

"Elizabeth," her mother replied weakly. "Elizabeth, you have to go to Mystic Falls, Virginia. You have to warn Bonnie."

"Mom, I have to call an ambulance," Elizabeth urged. "I have to get help!"

"No!" Kate cried, her eyes pouring out tears. "Eliz…Lizzie…you have to…go to Mystic Falls. Go. Go!"

Before Elizabeth could disobey her mother and reach for the kitchen phone, Kate let out a terrifying scream, and her mouth fell wide open. She stared at the ceiling with glassy eyes, and her body stopped all motion.

"Mom!" Elizabeth called frantically. "Oh, God, Mom! No!" She meant to rush to the phone, but instead, she ran out the front door and down the street. Her instinct told her to call for an ambulance immediately, but something sent her farther down the street and now away from Brooklyn. Kate's last words were deafeningly loud in her head, and she could not ignore them. Reluctantly, she soared down the road, hoping she would get to Mystic Falls somehow. In any way possible, she would get there. Her mother told her to go. She would go.


	3. They Would Try

Author's note: I just wanted to say, if you were highly discourages to read this story because of Katherine's death, don't give up on the story yet. I promise it will be worth it. My characters experience a lot of pain and I can't help but write a lot of sad things. But I have incredible ideas for this story, and if you stick with it, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

I hope you enjoy!

...

Just before dawn, a young girl was walking down the side of a rather vacant highway in the southern end of New York. She wore a white tank top, pink flannel pants, and no shoes. Every driver, though few they were, gave a second look in her direction, wondering what she was doing there. What they could not see from their vehicles passing at incredible high speeds was the blood on her hands and shirt. They also did not see the tear stains on her face or the fear in her eyes.

A dark SUV was driving down the road, and slowed as it approached the girl. The driver rolled down the passenger window and peered at the girl anxiously. "Hey."

She stopped her walking and looked at the driver. He was a relatively young man with messy brown hair and concerned eyes. No matter how much she tried, she could not answer him with any words.

"Is something wrong?" he asked earnestly.

She stood still and silent with her arms limply hanging by her sides. This sudden appearance of another living soul jumbled her mind, and she could not remember how she had got there. Even as answers rearranged in her head, she could not speak.

The driver put his car in park and gave a feeble smile. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to know if you need some help. Do you need a ride."

Elizabeth crossed her arms slowly and nodded her head with unexpected swiftness. The driver got out of his car, met her on the other side, and opened the passenger door for her. As she climbed in, his eyes filled with shock, and he stared at the blood stains on her shirt.

"Are you hurt?" he asked frantically, looking closer at the stains.

"No," she replied coldly.

"Well…alright."

He reentered the car and began driving down the highway slowly. Constantly he gave worried glances in Elizabeth's direction. Though they both were silent, the air was thick with the man's questions. Finally, he began to voice them.

"What's your name?" he questioned gently.

"Elizabeth," she answered plainly as she blankly stared through the windshield.

"My name is Jeremy Gilbert," he informed with a laborious politeness.

"Jeremy Gilbert?" The name caused Elizabeth's consciousness to leap up from her shock. "Are you related to Elena Gilbert?"

Jeremy seemed surprised and a bit frightened by her words. He looked at the road thoughtfully for a moment, and then returned his gaze to her. "Yes, I'm her brother. She goes by a different name now, but she was Elena Gilbert."

At first, Elizabeth was excited my this information, but she then realized it helped her in no way. Kervowski mention Elena in an indistinct way. But anyone with the Gilbert name was losing importance in Elizabeth's mind as her memory of Kervowski melted all her new barriers of ice. Her mother's dead face was burned across her mind, and she felt tears making their way to her eyes.

"Wait," Jeremy suddenly whispered. "Are you Elizabeth Somers?"

She looked at him in surprise and examined his eager expression. "I'm not Elizabeth Somers anymore. My mother is Kate Porter."

"I know," Jeremy said, looking at Elizabeth curiously. "Katherine adopted you after your mother…"

"Left me?" Elizabeth asked furiously. "Yes, I know. She left me with Kate. But now Kate is dead!"

Jeremy's mouth fell open as Elizabeth began to cry hysterically. He stuttered desperately and looked at the girl with incredulous eyes. "Katherine is dead?"

"Yes!" Elizabeth exclaimed in fury. "A man named Kervowski came last night and murdered her. I couldn't do anything! Somehow, I couldn't move or scream!"

"I can't believe this," Jeremy told shakily. "Katherine is dead."

Her mother's last words quickly came back to Elizabeth. "I have to get to Mystic Falls. She told me to warn Bonnie."

"Bonnie is my wife," Jeremy informed nervously. "What do you have to warn her about?"

"I…I don't know," Elizabeth sniffled. "My mom just said to warn her."

"Who killed your mother?" Jeremy asked urgently.

"He was the new principal at my high school," Elizabeth told, her words even surprising to her. "His last name was Kervowski. You should have seen! He took out this long knife and stabbed her. And then he reached down and tasted her blood!"

Jeremy's eyes widened. As he took in a great gulp of air, he stared at the road anxiously. Elizabeth grew suspicious and gazed at him nervously. "Jeremy, what do you know?"

"Did he say anything else?" Jeremy asked hurriedly. "Were there any names or words that stuck out to you?"

"He called her a Petrova doppelganger," Elizabeth told. "That's all I can remember."

"I'll take you to Mystic Falls," he replied anxiously. "We have to warn Bonnie."

A sudden feeling of adventure and danger filled Elizabeth. The seriousness and vitality of Jeremy's words stuck with her, and she began to feel extremely trapped. Without Kate, she felt without protection and love. She began to long for Damon to be with her now. He would keep her sane throughout this madness.

It took a few hours to get to Mystic Falls, and the car ride was less than silent. Elizabeth let out continuous sobs. She never liked to cry in front of people, but now she did not care how she cried. Even the simple thought of her mother left her heartbroken. There was not a moment that went by where she did not think of Kate. Every memory that ever existed between the two of them was bitter in her mind, but precious in the same way. It hurt her to feel so much pain as she thought of her mother. But she also could not let go.

Jeremy pulled into the driveway of a simple, two story house. One light was on in the front room, and the silhouette of a person could be seen sitting in a chair. With haste, Jeremy led her into the house and into the living room. A short, stunning woman with beautiful, ebony skin greeted them with confused eyes. As she stared at Elizabeth curiously, she walked over to Jeremy and took his hand lovingly.

"Jeremy, who is this?" Bonnie asked, her voice more anxious than Elizabeth had expected.

"Bonnie, this is Elizabeth Porter," Jeremy informed swiftly. "I picked her up on the way from Manhattan."

"This is definitely Alex's daughter," Bonnie stated, observing Elizabeth with much interest. "Sweetie, what happened to you? There's blood all over you."

"Katherine was killed, Bonnie." Jeremy's voice was still filled with much worry. "A vampire named Kervowski murdered her last night in front of Elizabeth."

"Katherine is dead?" Bonnie replied in shock, her eyes immediately turning to Jeremy. "That can't be?"

"He referred to her as a Petrova doppelganger," Jeremy told gravely. "Elizabeth, did you say he mentioned Elena?"

"He did," Elizabeth answered quietly, finding herself quite confused and slightly angry. "Doesn't anyone care that my mother is dead?"

"Of course we do, Elizabeth," Bonnie assured, her soft brown eyes unbelievably comforting. "Jeremy, get some towels. Elizabeth, please, come sit down."

Now trusting Bonnie considerably, Elizabeth followed her over to the couch. They sat beside each other, and Bonnie began to look very conflicted. Her gaze went back and forth from the floor and Elizabeth.

"Katherine is really dead?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Yes," Elizabeth responded miserably. "He killed her right in front of me! And he tasted her blood…Jeremy said he was a vampire? That's not possible."

Bonnie gave a long sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. "Elizabeth, there are some things in this world that people don't know about. For good reason, really. But I'm afraid you can't keep this ignorance now."

"Are you telling me that vampires are real?" Elizabeth exclaimed frantically. "Kervowski is a vampire? That's crazy!"

"Elizabeth, Kervowski isn't the only vampire you know," Bonnie interrupted, slight frustration in her voice. "Jeremy, where are those towels?"

"Right here," Jeremy called, reentering the room with a few white towels. Bonnie quickly took them from him and began to wash the blood from Elizabeth's hands. Seeing the red liquid of life so blatant on the white towels was almost shocking to Elizabeth.

"I'm a witch," Bonnie told suddenly, still wiping the blood from Elizabeth's hands. "Now, I know you won't believe me at first."

"A witch?" Elizabeth's voice seemed at a constantly loud volume. She could not remove the doubt from her voice or mind, and she started to shake her head. "You're not a witch. Witches don't exist."

"We do," Bonnie assured calmly. "Do you want proof?"

"Proof?" Before Elizabeth could declare all her suspicions, a candle on the coffee table nearby lit without any match or lighter. Her heart skipped a beat as she returned her astounded eyes to Bonnie, who was letting out a deep breath as she opened her eyes from a profound concentration. Elizabeth was speechless, and she just stared at Bonnie with wide eyes.

"I hope you'll listen to me now," Bonnie sighed. "Before I tell you anything, I think it would be smart to learn about everything that happened last night. It seems like a life or death matter."

Elizabeth kept quiet and anticipated Bonnie's questions. The scenes of last night's chaos sent chills down her spine. But now she felt part of something incredibly significant. Stowing her sorrow away into the back of her mind, she nodded her head and waited for Bonnie to speak.

"Elizabeth, tell us all about this Kervowski man and what you've heard him say," Bonnie requested sternly.

"Kervowski was the principal of our school," Elizabeth explained. "We all met him at an assembly yesterday. He talked with my mom for a while, and then called me into his office. He wanted to hear more about her."

"What did he ask, exactly?" Bonnie questioned.

"He mentioned how she didn't have a middle name," Elizabeth continued hastily. "He asked if I'd ever heard her speak Bulgarian. And then he asked if I knew Elena Gilbert. I told him my mom talked to Damon about her. And he said that Damon's last name was Salvatore."

"He knows all about us," Jeremy suddenly noted, a look of worry and resentment in his face.

"What happened when he killed your mother?" Bonnie persisted anxiously, hardly unaffected by Jeremy's words.

"I heard her scream." The horrible moment was vociferous in her memory. She quickly wiped a tear from her cheek and carried on. "When I ran out to the living room, he was holding her against the wall. He called her Kat…Katerina, I think. And his son was there. I think he stopped me from moving."

"He's got a warlock with him," Bonnie whispered, giving a severe look towards Jeremy. "When he called her the Petrova doppelganger, what exactly did he say?"

"He said she was part of a sacrifice. A really important and powerful sacrifice. But he couldn't let…Klaus sacrifice her. There was a curse, something about the sun or the moon…or both. He said it isn't real. Klaus wants to sacrifice her for something, and it would be dangerous for the world. He couldn't let them sacrifice her, so he…killed her."

"I can't believe it," Bonnie exclaimed. "If his cause was truly noble, he would have never actually killed Katherine."

"Why do you keep calling her Katherine?" Elizabeth asked angrily. Frustration was starting to boil inside her, along with a horrible sense of betrayal and grief. "Damon was the only person who ever called her by her full name. And why did Kervowski call her Katerina?"

"Elizabeth, this is going to be hard for you to hear," Bonnie admitted cautiously. "It may hurt you."

"Just tell me the truth!" Elizabeth commanded anxiously. "I'm so tired of this."

"Alright," Bonnie sighed. "I'm not sure how to…A long time ago, Katherine lived in Bulgaria. Her name was Katerina Petrova. Of course, this was almost five-hundred years ago-"

"What?" Elizabeth interrupted. "Five-hundred years ago?"

"Bonnie, I think she needs to know," Jeremy whispered suddenly, giving Bonnie a serious stare. "She needs to know about her mother."

"Alex never wanted for her to know about any of this," Bonnie stated mournfully.

"Bonnie," Elizabeth called tearfully. "What's going on?"

Looking around the room desperately, Bonnie took Elizabeth's hands in her own. They sat in silence for a moment as Bonnie seemed to scramble her thoughts. More than once, words seemed to be on the very tip of Bonnie's tongue. Slowly, impatience mixed with Elizabeth's horrible blend of emotions.

"Elizabeth, your mother never left you," Bonnie told warily. "She was kidnapped by a vampire who wanted to complete a certain spell to turn vampires into humans."

"A spell?" The short, yet complicated sentence put so many questions into Elizabeth's head. "I don't understand."

"Vampires are real," Bonnie reminded grimly. "One kidnapped your mother and had a warlock cast a spell on her. The spell required for her to be sacrificed in order to give humanity back to vampires. Now, hold on, Elizabeth. I don't want to hear any more about how vampires and witches aren't real."

On the verge of an interruption, Elizabeth silenced her mind and tried to understand how anything supernatural could be real. Nothing would soothe her hesitation to believe, but, as she looked into Bonnie's eyes, she experienced a feeling of deep trust. No matter how strange it sounded, she would believe her words.

"But before Alex received the spell, she needed to turn into a vampire," Bonnie continued. "Once everything was done, her captors released her into Mystic Falls, where she met Damon Salvatore and his brother Stefan. Elizabeth, Damon was a vampire."

"Damon?" Her picture of vampires was so sour and hideous, she could not imagine one of her closest friends to be such a creature. "He was a vampire?"

"Yes," Bonnie answered. "He and Stefan took your mother in and taught her how to live a sensible life as a vampire. But your mother could not live without you. She searched for a way to become human again and be reunited with you, but there was no way."

"She _wanted_ me?" Elizabeth interrupt. "My mother actually loved me? That can't be. Kate would have told me."

"Of course she loved you, Elizabeth," Bonnie smiled weakly, grief just upon the curve of her lips. "But there was no way. She even asked Katherine if she knew anything about the spell, but Katherine only knew how to complete the spell."

"Why did Kate know about the spell?" Elizabeth questioned swiftly, her fragile breaths becoming quicker with each word. "Was she a witch too?"

"Um, well, no," Bonnie said hesitantly. "Katerina Petrova was a five-hundred year old vampire."

Elizabeth's mouth fell open, and she quickly released Bonnie's hands. With shaking hands, she gripped the side of the couch and tried to catch her breath. Nothing would calm her now that she had decided to believe Bonnie. But, though she was set on trusting, defenses plagued her mind.

"Kate- my mother- was not a vampire!" Elizabeth declared furiously. "How could you say that?"

"She was a vampire," Bonnie assured urgently. "But she became human again. And so did Damon."

"But how?" As the words slipped from Elizabeth's mouth, the answer hit her so violently from Bonnie's heartbreaking eyes. "My…my mother? She…was sacrificed?"

"Your mother knew she couldn't care for you as a vampire," Bonnie told sympathetically. "She sacrificed her life so Katherine and Damon could become human and care for you."

"Sacrificed herself?" Elizabeth's heart was beating faster than she could handle. She jumped up from the couch and shook her head furiously. "No, my mother never loved me. She left for no good reason. Katherine loved me forever."

"Elizabeth, we're just telling you the truth," Jeremy insisted gently.

"It's not the truth!" Elizabeth screamed viciously. Quickly, she headed towards the front door and opened it. "It's not the truth!"

"Elizabeth, come back!" Bonnie called as Elizabeth ran out the house.

The golden sunlight rested across Elizabeth's face, and her new, burning tears could be seen with incredible clarity. If this was the truth, Elizabeth could not face it. All her life, she had hated her mother with a passion. Now she learned the woman had loved her so much as to sacrifice herself for her wellbeing.

In a hysterical fit of tears, Elizabeth ran down the road and headed in no particular direction. All she knew was she could not live with the truth or the lie. Katherine lying in her house in a puddle of blood. Some of that precious blood was stained onto Elizabeth's shirt, and she couldn't stand the sight of herself.

Eventually, she wandered into a forest, and she began to feel the pain her bare feet had been exposed to the past night. With her whole body aching, she continued through the trees. The seclusion of the forest started to frighten her, and she anxiously ran across the layer of leaves on the ground and jumped at any sound. Her mind was racing as real and imaginary sounds haunted her. Every image was like something out of a dream, and felt perhaps she had died upon entering the forest. Now she was running to the place where Katherine was. They would be reunited.

Every thought was killed as she suddenly stumbled on a stone. As she fell, every frustration, regret, and fear was released, and she let out a piercing cry. The sharp ground was welcoming in a way, and she rested there as tears continued to fall down her face. Eagerly, she opened her eyes, hoping to see something that would cause a convenient death. But she saw nothing of the sort.

There, floating in the air only five feet from her head, was a small ball of light. It seemed only like a shining marble, or a beautiful diamond. Elizabeth was instantly intrigued by it. She couldn't understand why, but she rose from the ground and moved towards it. Immediately, it started to move away, and she followed it obediently.

Through the forest she walked, falling unaware of her pain and her loss. Every truth she learned in the past hour was simply in the backdrop of her mind. Her only focus was the beautiful light the orb gave. It lead her to a staircase that descended into a dark, murky cave. The light suddenly vanished, but now she was intrigued by the symbols on the walls. Slowly, she let her hand hover just above the strange, foreign markings. As she looked upon the symbol-covered wall, something began to frighten her. Pictures of both Kate and Alex filled her mind, and her breathing quickened its pace.

Suddenly, light footsteps echoed through the cave, and she swiftly turned around. Her heart stopped as she saw a tall, pale man with a long, white beard and a balding head. His face was filled with age, and it seemed a mystery how someone who looked so old could stand before her with undaunted strength. He stood wearing a traditional suit, and his hands were folded in front of him. A friendly smile came upon his face, and he looked at her curiously.

"You look just like your mother."

Unable to utter a word, Elizabeth only stared at this stranger in fear. She remembered Katherine, she remembered Bonnie, and she remembered Alex. This strange old man seemed to easily remind her of the supernatural stories and events she experienced. But something in the man's smile began to break down the suspicion and fright she felt.

"Who are you?" she asked quietly.

"My name is Jonathan Eris," he replied gently. "I'm afraid that orb of light that led you here was my doing."

"Your doing? What do you mean?"

"I am a warlock, Elizabeth Porter," Jonathan told meekly. "I've no right to even speak with you, but it is an impossibility for me to ignore your presence here."

"I don't understand," Elizabeth whispered. "How do you know my name? And how do you know that I look like my mother?"

"It was fourteen years ago," he started, taking small steps around the cave. He walked to the entrance of a dark tunnel and gave a sigh. "I was approached by a vampire named Peter Beck. He was miserable by being a vampire for over three-hundred years. His entire family had long passed away, and he desperately wanted to start a new life. He wanted me to complete a sacrificial spell so that he may become human again. I figured it would do no harm to try. Without a second thought, I placed the spell on the girl he brought to me."

"My mother." Her own words were piercing in her ears. Suddenly, she found a great aversion towards this man, and she stepped back from him slowly. "You're the one who sacrificed my mother?"

"When I completed the spell, I was magically connected with her," Jonathan continued sorrowfully. "I felt her incredible love for you, and I regretted ever agreeing to the spell. It was unbearable to feel her grief and live. Constantly, I contemplated ending my own life, but I realized it would be a greater service to protect hers. I was all ready to keep Peter from her. But I sensed an unbelievable willingness in your mother, and, in the end, I completed the sacrifice."

"Why would my mother want to die?" Elizabeth asked furiously. "How could she just leave me? Didn't she want me anymore?"

"I'm sure Bonnie Bennet has told you the reason already," he suggested calmly. "When you are a vampire, you long for blood at all times. She would not stand to desire your own blood as she raised you."

"I'm sure there were ways to help that," Elizabeth insisted hastily. "If vampires actually exist…and, I suppose they do…why haven't they killed every living person in this world? Vampires don't have to kill whoever they come across."

"There was much more to it than that," Jonathan persisted. "Vampires don't age, Elizabeth. If your mother had chosen to raise you, the both of you would be like twins at this very moment. Such a thing would have scarred you desperately. She realized it was selfish to want to keep you. Certainly it took more strength for her die than for her to live."

"And she let Kate raise me after she died?" Elizabeth cried fervently. "God, I've hated her all this time! But she gave everything to me!"

"She holds nothing against you, Elizabeth," Jonathan assured softly.

"How could you!" Elizabeth screamed, quickly running up to the old man. She frantically grabbed the collar of his jacket and shook him. "How could you take her away from me?"

"It is the one thing I regret most," he told coolly, his eyes full of gloom. "If I could take it all back, I would."

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Elizabeth released his jacket and started to pace around the cave. "I would give anything to meet her. No one could have ever loved me this much."

"Katherine loved you so very much," Jonathan said sternly. "Don't you ever forget that."

"I don't think I know who Katherine is anymore," Elizabeth sighed desperately.

"It is your right to know the truth," Jonathan insisted, calmly stepping back from Elizabeth.

"Please," Elizabeth whispered. "Tell me everything."

"Katherine was born in Bulgaria as Katerina Petrova," he began somberly. "She was a Petrova doppelganger, which means she was a very important part of a sacrifice. A vampire named Klaus was looking for a Petrova doppelganger to complete a sacrifice that would release the werewolf in him. Klaus is a half-breed."

"Werewolf?" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Half-breed?"

"Elizabeth, by now, the mention of a werewolf should be merely chitchat for you," Jonathan sighed wearily. "To escape being sacrificed, Katherine became a vampire. When she participated in the sacrifice of your mother, she became human again, making her eligible for the sacrifice. Your mother asked for her to care for you, so Katherine changed her name to protect the both of you."

"Then Kervowski killed Katherine to keep Klaus from releasing his werewolf side?" Elizabeth questioned in disgust. "She had escaped Klaus for fourteen years! Couldn't he have let her live?"

"Kervowski is a coward," Jonathan mumbled angrily. "My connection to your mother inexplicably connected me to you as well, and I saw how Katherine was murdered. I can only expect for him to go after the other Petrova doppelganger."

"There's another one? Who is she?"

"Elena Gilbert," he informed anxiously. "But I have kept track of her. She is in California with her husband Stefan Salvatore. They both go by the name Goodrich now."

"Then she is in trouble," Elizabeth stated anxiously. "We need to tell them about Kervowski."

"I'm sure Jeremy has already gotten to it," Jonathan said calmly. "But, Elizabeth, no matter what you do, Kervowski will be searching for Elena. And he will interrogate anyone who may know where she is. His first visit will no doubt be Mystic Falls."

"He'll kill more people," Elizabeth predicted earnestly. "Won't he?"

"Elizabeth, you must leave Mystic Falls with Bonnie and Jeremy," he advised sternly. "Even if Kervowski finds nothing in Mystic Falls, word will get around to Klaus, and he will learn that Katherine is dead. He will become desperate to find Elena, and come to Mystic Falls to find her in any way possible."

"This is crazy," Elizabeth said hysterically. "There is no way we can survive this. Kervowski had a warlock with him, and I couldn't even move or speak while he murdered Katherine."

"Bonnie is a powerful witch," Jonathan insisted, grabbing Elizabeth's arms with great force. "But you are the important one here, Elizabeth. The spell I placed on your mother works very mysteriously. Perhaps out of sympathy, the witches who created the spell allowed for the offspring of the sacrifice to posses a special power. It allows for protection and revenge against vampires, Elizabeth. You have this power."

"I-I don't understand…"

"Look, Elizabeth," he continued avidly. "Your mother's courage saved you. Now your courage will save the rest."

"Jonathan, I don't think I have my mother's courage," Elizabeth stammered desperately. "I can't do this!"

"Elizabeth, do you know what courage comes from?" he questioned eagerly. "Courage comes from love. Love is what drove your mother's courage. She gave that love to you when she died, and I'm sure Katherine gave a whole lot of love throughout the rest of your life. You _can_ do this, Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth stood still before the strange man, wondering if his words were really true. Every thought in her mind insisted he was full of lies and did not understand who she was. But she began to doubt if she knew exactly who she was. Her whole identity was turned upside down in the past few hours, and she anxiously wanted to find it.

"The rest is up to you," he whispered softly. "You'll find your way, Elizabeth."

As she continued searching through her rapid thoughts, he was suddenly gone. She looked around the room, hoping he would still be there to give her answers. It would have been comforting to know he was willing to come with her on this astonishing journey.

"Jonathan!" she called, rushing throughout the cave's tunnels. "Jonathan!"

She finally ran up the stairs of the cave, observing the forest apprehensively. Jonathan was nowhere to be seen. But Elizabeth heard her name being called, and she dashed through the forest to find this familiar voice. The isolation the forest provided was starting to frighten her.

"Bonnie!" she screamed frantically, avoiding trees as she wandered through the woods. "Where are you!"

"Elizabeth!" Bonnie and Jeremy finally appeared from behind a clutter of trees, and Elizabeth ran towards them. Without a second thought, she rushed right into Bonnie's arms and tried to keep herself from hyperventilating.

"Elizabeth," Bonnie exclaimed nervously. "Elizabeth, is everything okay? What happened?"

"Bonnie, we have to save Elena," Elizabeth insisted as her heartbeats began to normalize. "Jonathan said that if Klaus sacrifices Elena, something terrible will happen."

"Jonathan?" Jeremy asked curiously. "Who's Jonathan?"

"He's the warlock who sacrificed my mother," Elizabeth informed, her words reigniting the rage she first had for the man. She took a deep breath and tried to remember his remorse and apparent desire for justice. "He led me into this cave and told me all about my mother. We can't waste any time. We have to keep Elena from Klaus and Kervowski."

"I already called Elena," Jeremy told anxiously. "She and Stefan are going to leave California and find a place to hide. What else can we do?"

"They will find her," Elizabeth suggested sternly. "She needs protection. Supernatural protection, Bonnie."

Thought Bonnie looked incredibly worried, she nodded and seemed to understand. Taking Jeremy's hand, she gave a grave stare. "She's right, Jeremy. They don't have any vampires or witches over there to help them. We've got to catch the soonest plane to California."

"It's really that serious?" Jeremy questioned nervously.

"Now that Kervowski found Katherine and killed her…" Elizabeth swallowed a few tears as Katherine's smile entered her mind. "He knows where to look for Elena."

"Let's go, then," Jeremy insisted impatiently. "Come on."

They rushed through the forest and dodged the tall, daunting trees. Elizabeth had a firm grip on Bonnie's hand, but she didn't feel any bit safe. She felt like a gypsy with no home and no life anymore. With comforting eyes, Bonnie looked back at the frightened girl. Elizabeth slowly understood the fact that she had to accept this new-found living and family. Together they began a journey that none of them could understand entirely. But they were ready to at least try. If it was all they could do, they would try.


	4. Memories

Before they had gone to the airport, they stopped by the house to pick up a few things. Bonnie hastily retrieved a change of clothes for Elizabeth. The girl with the blood-stained clothes was incredibly grateful. Katherine's blood being with her for so long felt like her very death clinging to her body. That deathly last stare that Katherine gave before Elizabeth left her was still so vivid in her mind.

The trip to the airport was almost entirely silent. Bonnie was the only one who spoke, calling the airport to reserve a flight. But as soon as they arrived, worry filled her eyes.

"Elizabeth, you don't have any identification, do you?" Bonnie asked swiftly.

"I don't," Elizabeth answered anxiously. "I'm sorry. Everything is back in Brooklyn."

"It's alright, Elizabeth," Bonnie sighed. "Jeremy, I'll have to go alone."

"You can't go alone, Bonnie," Jeremy insisted fervently. "It's too dangerous."

"I can take care of myself, Jeremy," Bonnie told. "It's important for me to be with Stefan and Elena. You and Elizabeth should head to Illinois."

"Illinois?" Jeremy questioned suddenly. "Why Illinois?"

Bonnie gave an concerned look towards the door of the airport. "I'm worried about Caroline. If Klaus or Kervowski learn who was involved with Alex's sacrifice, they'll try to interrogate her."

"I don't like splitting up," Jeremy mumbled. "This is crazy."

"I know you never liked vampires," Bonnie sighed, taking Jeremy's hand softly. "I know you never liked any of this. But I know what to do. You have to get Caroline."

"Fine," Jeremy whispered. "Be careful, Bonnie."

"I will." Her eyes were desperately passionate, and worry was obviously in them. Quickly she took hold of Jeremy's face and kissed him. The fervor in their embrace made Elizabeth realize just how serious this whole situation was. As the couple parted reluctantly, a desire to have someone to cling to through this whole ordeal possessed her.

After a long few minutes of embracing, Jeremy let go of Bonnie and led Elizabeth back to the car. As they started to drive, she could tell his mind and heart were elsewhere. She started to resent him, though she could not fully understand this feeling. Desperately she wanted him to be with her so she would not be alone.

"Jeremy, are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"I'm fine," he replied. His words were steady, but his eyes were very far away. Elizabeth felt like she would win no empathy from him, but his voice would be comforting to hear.

"How long have you and Bonnie been married?" Now she was just begging to hear anything he might have to say. She decided Bonnie would spark the most involving conversation.

"Nine years," he answered proudly. "You actually came to our wedding."

"I did?" Elizabeth questioned with a bit of excitement. "I do faintly remember a wedding."

"I was surprised Bonnie invited Katherine," Jeremy chuckled darkly. "After the tension at your birthday party, I was worried we'd never see you again. But Katherine opted out anyway. Damon brought you-"

"My birthday party?" Elizabeth's mind could not focus on Jeremy's continuing words. A whole new vision of family and happiness appeared in her mind. She had known many people throughout the course of her life, but this connection to her biological mother filled her with exhilaration. "It was after my mother…passed away?"

"Yeah," Jeremy told, shock in his voice. "Don't you have birthday parties?"

"Well, yes," she replied bashfully. "But only my school friends, Damon, and Katherine have been to them. Why don't you come to them anymore? I didn't even know you existed."

"There's a reason for that," Jeremy insisted casually. "I suppose you're a little curious to know what it is."

Elizabeth was incredibly curious about this reason, but she was mostly interested in hearing more about her past. She felt as if the supernatural aspect of her life separated her from the rest of the world, and anyone who related to the oddity was part of a needed family. As long as Jeremy was willing to tell her about this family, she would listen.

"Well, it was December of 2010," he continued stiffly. "Right after…Well, Katherine wanted to have a birthday party for you. That was when your grandmother was still alive, too. Everyone was invited. And most of us came. Not everyone was comfortable with Katherine, though. I think a lot of people came because they owed their lives to your mother."

"Why would they be uncomfortable with Katherine?" Elizabeth asked curiously. "I don't understand how she could have ever hurt someone."

"I'm a little nervous about answering that question," Jeremy admitted slowly. "I don't want to change your view of Katherine. In the end, she became one of the kindest people I could have ever known. You had a lot to do with that. If I tell you everything she ever did, all the people she…It wouldn't be good for you."

Elizabeth longed to question all that Jeremy was saying, but something kept her from following through. Her mind started to go wild, and many scenarios of Katherine doing evil and heinous things entered her thoughts. She anxiously began to wonder if her imagination was more detrimental than the truth could ever be, but the pained look on Jeremy's face insisted her imagination wasn't so off.

"You're scaring me," she whispered shakily. "Katherine was the only mother I ever knew. She couldn't have…"

"She was a vampire, Elizabeth," Jeremy said softly. "No matter what the media decides to tell you, life as a vampire isn't so glamorous, especially when you do what Katherine did."

Everything Elizabeth had ever known seemed so distant. She always believed that people could change and that the past did not matter, but now that the situation was so close to home, she did not know what she thought. Jeremy's compassionate gaze caught her just as she started to cry, and she attempted to stay strong.

"Whatever," Elizabeth sighed heatedly. "I'm sure she never meant any of the bad things she did."

"You have your mother's sympathy," Jeremy laughed quietly. "Even when Katherine was still a sarcastic, little fiend, Alex talked with her and found out all that made her the way she was. When Stefan and Damon still didn't trust her, Alex actually entrusted Katherine with you. Bonnie almost jumped out of her skin when she heard."

"She was really that bad?" Elizabeth asked miserably.

"Um, well, sort of," Jeremy suggested quickly. "But it doesn't matter what everyone else thought. Your mother saw the good in Katherine, and Damon as well."

"Now Damon was a sadistic monster too?" Elizabeth exclaimed desperately.

"Being a vampire takes a toll on your morals." Jeremy's voice was stifled by a slight uncertainty. "I mean…We can never understand it, Elizabeth. You would have to experience it to know why Katherine and Damon did what they did."

"Did…Did my mother ever kill anyone?" Her question searched for more than facts. It searched for even a glimmer of purity in her family. All this sudden shock took a terrible hit on her trust with both Katherine and Damon. Some reassurance, though little help it would be, would certainly boost her confidence.

"The only thing your mother ever killed for blood was a rabbit in the forest," Jeremy informed with a small smile. "I heard she was so traumatized by the experience that she only drank from blood bags after that. She was an extraordinary woman, Elizabeth. Whether she was a vampire or not shouldn't make you think any less of her. And it should be the same for Damon and Katherine."

It was now simple to respect Alex for all she was and did. But doubts about her most loved friends entered Elizabeth's mind. After a while, all her thoughts just continued to confuse her, and she did not want to focus on them anymore. She gave a devoted look towards Jeremy and decided to try for some sleep. Slowly, she rested her head on the passenger door and closed her eyes. It had been so long since she had slept last, but she was convinced sleep would not come easily. Luckily, she was wrong.

"Elizabeth, wake up."

Her heavy eyelids seemed almost glued together, but somehow, Elizabeth was able to open her eyes. Only a the car's light in a sea of darkness was waiting for her. As her eyes adjusted, she could see Jeremy's face right in front of her, and she quickly jumped in alarm.

"Jeremy," she whispered, her memory a faded blur in her brain. "Where are we?"

"We're at Caroline's house in Bloomington, Illinois," he told quietly. "Come on."

She felt around her and remembered that she was in a car. Jeremy was leaning in from the open passenger door, now taking his wallet from the glove compartment. As she continued to regain her memory, she noticed the car was parked on a dark, peaceful residential street. Meekly she followed Jeremy up to a small house with no sign of life inside. He rang the doorbell quite frantically, and Elizabeth noticed just how tired he looked. She anxiously began to wonder how long he had been driving.

As they waited on the front porch, Elizabeth felt like her whole mind was cold and dark. The events of the past few nights were like a black and white movie running through her brain, and she could not feel any emotion from them. Reality was entirely upon her, but she would not let it in. The night was a shadow to hide all that waited for her, and she put it to good use.

A light appeared in the living room window, and Elizabeth started to feel excitement welling up inside her. This Caroline would be yet another puzzle piece in her supernatural family, and meeting her seemed like an event that would slowly bring Elizabeth's life back together.

The door opened just a crack, and a pair of beautiful blue eyes could be seen peering through at them. "Who is it?"

"Caroline, it's Jeremy." He seemed on the verge of a long yawn, but he stood strong and capable.

"Jeremy?" Caroline's voice seemed weathered with the strange mix of tiredness and recent sleep. But her eyes perked up immediately, and she stared at him anxiously. "What are you doing here?"

"It's an emergency," he told urgently. "Elena is in danger."

Caroline gave a long stare towards Jeremy, and then a quick glance towards Elizabeth. After Caroline disappeared for a moment, Jeremy pushed the door open and beckoned Elizabeth inside. He gave one last look out into the night before shutting the door behind them.

Adjusting her hair and clothes, Caroline stood as a gorgeous, unblemished actress out of a classic, black and white movie. She did not appear suspicious of Elizabeth, but seemed awfully interested in her. With a slight smirk, Caroline picked up a bottle of mace from a nearby shelf and shook it gently.

"This had better be some serious business, Jeremy," she grinned. "Madly ringing my doorbell at three in the morning should assure you that I'm ready to use some form of defense against you."

"Trust me, Caroline," Jeremy promised wearily. "This is really serious."

Caroline's eyes fell on Elizabeth for perhaps the twentieth time since they had been in the house. "Um…Jeremy, is that…"

"It's Elizabeth," Jeremy informed casually.

The interest in Caroline's eyes gave a new glow. She observed Elizabeth with an almost frenzied look. As she began to walk closer towards Elizabeth, she swallowed nervously and an alarming guilt filled her eyes.

"Elizabeth?" she questioned shakily. "It's…It's really you?"

"Yes," Elizabeth answered timidly. The anguished look on Caroline's face now made Elizabeth uncomfortable. She desperately wanted this moment to be somewhat joyful, but it was obvious deeper emotions played into this meeting.

"Alex's daughter," Caroline whispered weakly. "I…I don't know what to say."

"Caroline was one of the vampires that your mother helped," Jeremy slowly explained to Elizabeth.

"Goodness," Caroline exclaimed calmly. "You look just like your mother. She was so amazing, Elizabeth. I could never thank her enough for what she did."

"I…I'm glad she could help you," Elizabeth replied with a broken smile. "I wish I could have known her better."

"I hope Katherine has been taking care of you," Caroline said anxiously. "…Where is Katherine?"

Even with all Elizabeth had learned about Katherine, the name tore a new hole inside her heart. All the emotions she had lost during her slumber reentered her body, and she felt a flood of sleeping tears making its way to her eyes. Quickly, she turned away from Caroline and Jeremy and threw her hands up to her eyes.

"Caroline…Katherine was murdered last night." Jeremy's voice was full of sympathy and concern, but Elizabeth was too regretful to notice. "A vampire found where she lived and killed her."

"What?" Caroline's voice was full of incredible shock. "Someone killed her? That's crazy!"

"He killed her so that Klaus could not use her for a sacrifice," Jeremy continued softly. "Apparently the Curse of the Sun and Moon isn't real. But the sacrifice that Klaus wants to fulfill is even more dangerous."

"So he killed Katherine?" Caroline asked stridently. "Just so she couldn't be sacrificed as the Petrova doppelganger? Jeremy, this is terrible."

"Now he's after Elena," Jeremy told tensely. "Bonnie just landed in California a few hours ago. When she called me, she told me her, Elena, and Stefan would meet us half-way in Denver."

"We're all meeting up again?" Caroline questioned defiantly. "I thought we decided a long time ago that it would be better for us to stay away from each other."

"That was before Kervowski," Jeremy insisted in frustration. "This vampire knows too much about us. And he's not alone. He'll eventually lead Klaus to all of us."

"Are…Are we all really in danger?" Caroline's voice emoted a terrible desperation that Elizabeth knew too well. Now Katherine's red blood was so loud and horrible in her mind, and she could not ignore the reality anymore. Tears fell just as they did on the night of Kervowski's attack.

"We are." A certain frustration was in Jeremy's tone. "You know where Elena is. He'll find out who was involved in Alex's sacrifice and hunt you down. Isn't Katherine's death proof enough for you?"

A sudden silence was quickly shattered by Elizabeth's sobs. She couldn't stand to look at the two people she knew were intently staring at her. Desperately she imagined locking herself into a room to process all of this atrocious situation. But there was no way to escape reality for even a moment. Katherine's absence seemed to be one of life's terrible plots. It took one who did not deserve to be taken.

To Elizabeth's surprise, she was suddenly caught up in Caroline's embrace. Her arms were strong and comforting, and a beautiful feeling of joy and contentment came with her touch. Caroline gave a soft sniffle and held Elizabeth close.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Caroline whispered gently. "You don't deserve any of this."

"I-I just can't believe she's gone," Elizabeth cried frantically. "I saw her die! I saw him drink her blood!"

"Sweetie, it's okay," Caroline insisted, taking her hand. "It's probably been a while since you've eaten. Jeremy, when was the last time you fed this girl? What kind of responsible adult are you?"

"I'm starving a bit too, Caroline," Jeremy chuckled weakly.

Caroline went to work in the kitchen, making a rather hefty meal. As soon as it was served, Jeremy was quick to finish it. Elizabeth took a little more time eating her share, only because she could not take her eyes off Caroline. Something in the woman's voice, her eyes, her actions made Elizabeth feel safe. It was almost unbelievable, and certainly surprising, to Elizabeth.

"Matt is on a business trip in Springfield," Caroline mentioned anxiously, pacing around the kitchen quickly. "I don't know what exactly to tell him, but my explanation can't have anything to do with vampires. Or witches. Or any other supernatural creatures involved in this whole situation."

"Just tell him an emergency came up with Elena," Jeremy suggested casually. "Perhaps Stefan just filed for divorce?"

"You're very creative, Jeremy," Caroline glared. "A little too creative. I'll just tell him…that Stefan filed for divorce. Hey, what about Damon? Is he meeting up with us too?"

"Um…"

Jeremy's obvious reluctance sent Elizabeth into a frenzy. Her gaze immediately shot towards him, and she gave the most imploring look she possibly could.

"I thought you said Bonnie called him," she reminded. "Bonnie said she called him before we left for the airport."

"She did call him," Jeremy assured with an unwillingness in his voice. "And she left a message. She even left a message about Denver, but he hasn't called us back yet."

"What?" Elizabeth exclaimed. "He hasn't called you back yet? But I gave Kervowski his name! He'll find him soon enough! Maybe he's already dead!"

"Don't think like that, Elizabeth," Caroline interrupted quickly.

"It's all my fault!" Elizabeth cried. "Kervowski didn't even ask about Damon, but I gave him his legal name and everything!"

"Damon is a smart guy," Jeremy insisted. "I'm sure he's already on his way to Denver by now."

"Jeremy is right," Caroline assured. "Look, let me call Matt and get ready, and then I'll meet you two at the car. Does that sound alright?"

"Quickly, Caroline," Jeremy urged. "I don't like how the only connection I have with Bonnie and Elena is a cell phone."

The night was cold and the air was thick. Even while waiting in the car with Jeremy, Elizabeth felt insecure. Though she was eager to embrace a new life of supernatural mystery and hidden family ties, she simply could not let go of Damon. He was the sole picture in her mind right now, and she desperately wanted him with her.

"Nope. Scoot over, Jeremy," Caroline commanded after opening the driver side door. "I'm driving. You're going to kill us all if you drive as exhausted as you are."

With little reluctance, Jeremy got out of the car and headed over to the passenger side. As he opened the door, she shook her head and pointed to the backseat. "Nope. Elizabeth can sit there. You go to the back."

Giving a weary sigh, Jeremy slowly ushered Elizabeth to the passenger seat and then curled up in the backseat. Just as they got on the freeway, he was fast asleep. Caroline gave a small chuckle and looked in the rearview mirror.

"I always saw him as such a baby," she whispered with a laugh. "Now he's Bonnie's _husband_. That's crazy, right?"

"Sure."

Staring out the window, Elizabeth couldn't sense Caroline's worried eyes on the back of her head. Caroline took a few sharp breathes as she searched her brain for appropriate conversation.

"So, how old are you now, Elizabeth?" Caroline asked curiously.

"I'll be sixteen next month," Elizabeth replied in a gloomy voice. "Though I see no reason to look forward to my birthday anymore."

"That's…depressing." Caroline's shining blue eyes pierced through the darkness as she observed the car's dashboard distractedly. "Well…I'm looking forward to your birthday. Sixteen is an exciting age."

"I'm…I'm sorry," Elizabeth sighed, timidly turning towards Caroline. "I'm happy to meet you. I really am. It's just so much for me to take in. So much has happened in so little time. And I'm still really worried about Damon."

"I understand, Elizabeth," Caroline assured with a frown.

"You can call me Lizzie," Elizabeth insisted, a bit of enthusiasm in her voice.

Caroline's expression lost its tension, and she gave a relaxed smile. Content with the loss the awkwardness, she cherished this new bond. "So, you don't remember me at all?"

"I had no idea any of you existed, really," Elizabeth admitted. "I have a small memory of being at Jeremy and Bonnie's wedding. But, other than that, my only connection to any of this supernatural stuff was Katherine."

Elizabeth was so convinced that she would cry as she thought of Katherine, but she could hardly imagine how she felt about her before this all began. What she had learned over the past few hours had shifted her view of own life. Her world was starting over again with new people and information.

"I remember when Katherine first came back to Mystic Falls," Caroline chuckled softly. "Damon fell for her just as he did those hundreds of years before. It was a terribly complicated relationship. She was sort of…evil, if I may."

"I understand." Elizabeth nodded her head and looked at Caroline inquisitively. "Damon and Katherine loved each other?"

"It was probably more of an enemies with benefits thing," Caroline suggested. Reluctantly she looked over at Elizabeth. "But you probably don't want to hear those things about Katherine."

"It's a bit disturbing…"

"But when your mother came to Mystic Falls, Damon was head over heels."

Elizabeth's mouth fell open as she stared at Caroline. "What? Damon and my mother were in love?"

"As in love as you can get in such a short time," Caroline sighed. "You know, if Jeremy were awake, he'd probably shut me up right now."

"No, tell me more," Elizabeth begged.

Carefully examining the highway as she turned on the car's cruise control, Caroline couldn't hide the anxiety in her eyes. But she turned to Elizabeth completely ready for whatever would come of this revelation.

"It's not like I was at the mansion a lot of the time," Caroline started cautiously. "But Stefan and Elena explained some of it to me after…after your mother passed away. Apparently it started as a strange love-hate relationship. And then it morphed into a supportive friendship. Their love was pretty innocent, but it was amazing and strong. It was so hard to watch towards…towards the end."

"He had to drink her blood to become human right before she died, right?" Elizabeth questioned in horror.

"We all did, yes." Caroline blinked her eyes hard and took a deep breath. "I know that he would have rather died at that moment. But he made a promise to your mom. He promised that he would take care of you with Katherine."

"That sounds horrible…"

"I don't know how your mother did it," Caroline began with an amused tone. "But she made Damon and Katherine, some of the wildest vampires I've ever seen, become a team to raise you. All of us were worried about your wellbeing. We thought that the two of them would get into a fight one day and forget to feed you. But your mother was some sort of a genius. She believed that everything would work out with the three of you."

"Caroline, you were a vampire once," Elizabeth whispered shakily, her eyes wide with terror. "Did you choose to become one?"

"Um, no," Caroline told timidly. "Actually…Katherine turned me into a vampire to get revenge on Stefan and Elena."

"My gosh, it just keeps getting worse and worse!" Elizabeth exclaimed angrily. Burning tears filled her eyes as she gritted her teeth. "The one person I loved more than anything was a horrible monster!"

"What's going on?" Jeremy asked groggily from the backseat.

"Go back to sleep, Jeremy," Caroline ordered forcefully, turning off the cruise control and tightening her grip on the wheel. As the car started to speed up, Caroline's temper became evident in her livid glare. "No, Elizabeth. Don't think like that. Katherine was redeemed by your mother. Alex chose her to be your guardian. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Have you ever killed someone, Caroline?" Elizabeth asked crossly.

"What?" Caroline's voice suddenly filled with panic. "I…I have. When I was a vampire, I did kill someone, yes."

"Where I come from, it's not the norm for human beings to kill one another," Elizabeth sneered, crossing her arms. "Or maybe I shouldn't apply the same rules to you people because you're all vampires, werewolves, and every other kind of supernatural being."

"_You people_?" Caroline snapped furiously. "What do you mean by that? We're all human beings now!"

"Caroline, be quiet," Jeremy commanded quickly, his voice not lacking rage. "And, Elizabeth, don't you dare talk like that. We're just people trying to do the right thing. So was Katherine. She took care of you for fourteen years. Don't forget that."

"I don't know what to think anymore," Elizabeth sobbed, staring out the window with her shining eyes. "I wish things could go back to the way they were. Life was better then. Why did Kervowski have to kill Katherine?"

"I…I don't know," Jeremy sighed. "But we have to deal with each other now. So behave."

Caroline's whole body was shaking as she continued to drive down the highway. Eventually Jeremy wouldn't let her drive any longer, and he sent her to the passenger seat, moving Elizabeth to the backseat. Neither having a safer driver nor the change in seats fixed the tension in the car, and everyone stayed silent for the rest of their drive in Illinois.

Trying to reminisce about her old life in Brooklyn, Elizabeth cried for a while longer. She started to feel scared about the fact that she had lived so casually and lovingly with murderers. She loathed this new world that constantly made her old world seem so dark with lies that it could hardly be remembered anymore.

But, deep inside her, she couldn't shake this new admiration she felt for Alexandra Somers. She was the only part of her new world that she wanted more of. And yet she was the only part of it that she couldn't have at all.


End file.
